ROMAN. Circa 250-350. Seal (Lead, 18 mm, 4.16 g). Eros, holding whip in his right hand, riding gryllus left; the gryllus consisting of the forepart of a ketos and a bearded head on the left side, the forepart of a lion jumping on the right side, and the legs and right wing of an eagle or a rooster, and clutching a serpent in its claws; in field to left, retrograde mongram of HE (?). Rev. Textile imprint. Unpublished in the standard references. A splendid Roman seal with an exceptional depiction of an elaborate gryllus. Very fine.


A gryllus is a composite creature that is usually composed of a large Silenos mask with the legs of a rooster and one or multiple animal foreparts springing out. They were a popular and common motif especially in Roman gem engraving, but they also appear on other items such as lead seals and tesserae